Matador's Calling
by Major Mike Powell III
Summary: Sometimes the decisions we make are based on the lives in which we live, Keitaro knows this first hand and makes a decsion that could change everyone's life ..forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Matador's Calling**

**A Joint Operation by Major Mike Powell III and Vegetto800**

**Prologue**

"N-Naru-_chan_! P-P-Please, no! Honest! It was an accident! I SWEAR!" Keitaro cried out the last part. It didn't work, anyway. About 1.0047 seconds later, he was sent spiralling high up into the late-evening sky.

So, WHAT in the blasted Nether Realm did he do now?

Real simple: just like he had done everyday of every week for 2 years now since he became the resident manager and legal owner of the Hinata All-Girls Dorm, he had been cleaning the natural hot springs out-door bath.

And THIS time he had made damn sure to let EVERYONE know beforehand that the springs would be out of commission for most of the day. They needed both cleaning and a much needed over-haul; the bamboo fence was practically about to fall apart…though Keitaro himself was involved with that. After all, he nearly always went flying right through it. The stone steps were becoming worn out with time and use, and the decks leading to the out-door bath needed some waxing.

And THIS time, Keitaro had taken some measures to improve his survival rate: he had posted not only 1 but 5 different signs around the hallways close to the bath, AND the door leading to it, of course. He had ALSO told all of the girls at lunchtime that the springs would be in repairs during the evening.

What was the worst that could happen with all those precautions?

Well, THIS…

The bamboo fence was done and over with. The decks were waxed and now slippery-clean. Keitaro was now busy scrubbing the stone steps. He was about half-way done when his bad Karma came back to hunt him: the door of the bath slid open and Keitaro's girlfriend of 6-7 months, give or take, Narusegawa, Naru came out walking casually, pulling her hair up in a bun with a hairclip.

And she was clad in only a plain-white towel that barely reached her lower thighs…

Keitaro could swear he saw something…something a little farther up which he shouldn't have seen.

The wet cloth Keitaro was using to scrub the stones almost slipped off his hand. His eyes were wide as saucers, his jaw slacked and his other hand was clutching his nose.

He almost had a hear attack when Naru turned around and bent over to pick up the hairclip that slipped off her hand while doing her hair.

'_Good God!, look at the arse on THAT!'___ he thought to himself.

Yes, that's right. Even after ALL this time having a nice share of naked, female flesh displayed before him…by accident, of course, had done next to nothing to improve his resistance to nosebleeds.

It was no use…the blood oozing from his nose leaked through his fingers, anyway. Now, Keitaro's girlfriend turned around and saw him, kneeling on the floor some feet ahead, holding a wet cloth in one hand and clutching his nose with the other.

First thing: Narusegawa blushed fiercely while just standing there idle, the hairclip totally forgotten in her hand, half-happy to have her boyfriend's total and utter attention.

Half-furious to...well, you DON'T want to know the other half. Of course the expected reaction came. She freaked out!

"KEITARO! WHAT the HELL are YOU doing HERE?!" she barked, making all natural wildlife, either birds, mammals AND insects within a 50 miles radius of the Inn run/fly/crawl/jump/etc as far away as possible.

And at the Hinata Tea House, Haruka Urashima just shook her head and took a drag of her cigarette. Some costumers winced and gave a short prayer for the poor soul to take on that girl's wrath.

Back at the springs, Keitaro didn't trust his voice. He could only turn his head the other way with a totally panicked expression on his face and shield his head with his arms.

About 2-3 seconds passed in tense, hostile silence. Keitaro dared to turn around and look at Narusegawa, hoping she would spare him this time. After all, he HAD told everyone he'd be working at the springs, AND posted all those signs!

Yeah, that worked REAL well.

"YOU PERVERT!" a blur of white and honey-brown streaked across the stone floor towards a terrified Keitaro and then an all-too familiar scream filled the air as the poor soul was launched unceremoniously into the air.

To any passers-by, all would they saw was a blur of white light and poor Keitaro's body flying off into the distance.

And that leads to this moment, where Keitaro found his voice again.

"N-Naru-_chan_! P-P-Please, no! Honest! It was an accident! I SWEEAARR!!"

After her boyfriend had turned into a single dot in the distance, Naru remained in her uppercut stance, panting heavily after giving that guy what he deserved. A sigh coming from the door to the out-door bath made her turn around.

"What did _he_ do now?" Mitsune was leaning against the doorframe and her right eye was half-open, with a raised eyebrow. Naru huffed and brushed some of her hair over her shoulder and then folded her arms over her chest.

"You're not gonna believe it! He had the GUTS to come in here before _I_ did, just to take a peek at me! He was actually WAITING for me!" she threw her hands up in exasperation. Kitsune chewed on her lower lip for a moment and then opened her left eye half-way.

"Naru-_chan_, you DO know Keitaro TOLD us he'd be workin' here, AND he also posted a buncha signs for us…right?" she asked, casually pointing at one of said signs, which was stuck to the sliding door with a nail.

Naru's eyes then shot wide open and she covered her mouth with her hands. She then looked down at her feet. She then looked back up at Mitsune with confused eyes.

She wanted the older woman to tell _her_ what to do.

She was SO not falling for that one. Her eyes narrowed enough to be closed, but were still open. She was frowning at the honey-brunette.

"Look at you; what a damn fine example of a girlfriend you are…" she said. Not waiting for a response, she turned on her heels and walked away, leaving a confused-looking Naru behind.

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Meanwhile, Keitaro was in mid-flight towards (according to his calculations) some point between Hinata District's shopping sector and the central park.

To kill some time while airborne, Keitaro let his mind to wander. '2 years now. Time flies, doesn't it?'

Both of them, along with Mutsumi had made it into Tokyo University. However, he couldn't attend to the first semester because he broke his leg on the entrance ceremony…thanks to Naru, by the way. After his leg had healed for the most part, he went off with Seta on a dig. He had come back while his younger sister, Kanako was filling in the role of resident manager of the Hinata Inn.

Some time after he had returned, Narusegawa had finally accepted and confessed her feelings for him, accepting his offer to marry him.

However, things barely changed since then. IF they changed at all; Keitaro, Narusegawa and Mutsumi kept studying and attending to classes at Tokyo-U together. Things kept going as normal at the Inn. The only major change was that Kanako had left the Inn some time later by Granny Hina's request to go with her on –yet another- hot springs tour around the world.

Anyway. For a while, things seemed just fine. Keitaro and Naru would often kiss briefly or make out when they were alone. They would often go on dates at night. They had even shared a bed once or twice.

'Life was good…'

But the good things didn't last for long.

Soon, Naru would act constantly aggressively towards him. She would become extremely suspicious when Keitaro went out and came back rather late. Once he was back she would bombard him with questions of his whereabouts. Then, she would just ignore him and give him the cold shoulder until the next day.

The kisses the couple would often share became less in quantity, and were barely chaste kisses anymore. Their make-out sessions eventually just stopped happening.

The taste of Naru's lips was now a memory in Keitaro's mind.

Eventually, the honey-brunette stopped letting Keitaro into her room at night and blatantly refused to share her or his bed when he asked her. She would always accuse him of wanting to rape her in her sleep, and she would then punch him out of the building.

'Hell, I don't think I can remember the last time Motoko-_chan_ took a swing at me with her sword…' That was true. Naru seemed to be his only torturer now.

Their once blooming relationship was now…dare he say "dead"? And the worst of all…both she AND him were STILL wearing their engagement rings.

Keitaro seriously wished he could just…go back in time and fix some things: First would be to have never, EVER made that…that DAMN Promise that came to practically "rule" his life. The Promise that drove him forward…forward to a future he wasn't sure now IF he even wanted.

Second, he could've, at the very least, NEVER come to the Hinata Inn in the first place! Granny Hina…that damned old bat…Keitaro loved his grandmother, but he SERIOUSLY doubted IF the old woman was thinking straight when she went on her world tour, leaving him as the resident manager of the place.

And even if he couldn't change all that…the very, VERY least he could've done…and perhaps the most intelligent thing, as well…he should've been smarter than to choose Narusegawa as the focus of his devotion, his dedication, his love…his life!

That, perhaps, WAS the biggest mistake of his life.

'I was always afraid to live a…love-less life. I thought Naru-_chan_ had proven me wrong. I thought she would save me…How goddamn wrong I was'

The impact with cold water ended Keitaro's train of thought. He had fallen into a pond. He looked around in the water and then began to swim upwards. A small duck panicked and scrambled away when Keitaro's head popped out from the surface some inches away. The young man shook his head, sending droplets of water flying in every direction.

'Whoa…this is for the record! About 8-10 miles this time, if I'm not mistaken' he thought darkly. A duck came floating next to his head and stared at him. He blinked twice.

"Hi, how's it going?" he asked stupidly. The duck merely tilted its head to a side.

"QUACK!" it replied and then pecked his eye. He winced and swatted the duck away. He then sighed.

"_Dios mío_! _Señor_, are you alright?!" a panicked, heavily-accented, female voice came from his side. Keitaro turned his head and saw a young woman standing in front of a bench, near the shore of the pond.

She was probably in her early 20's, had long, light-black hair tied up in a high ponytail, radiant dark-brown eyes and fair skin. She was wearing a red turtleneck and blue jeans. There was a small paper bag with fresh bread in it on the bench behind the girl.

Keitaro shook his head and began swimming to the shore. Once on solid ground, he looked down at himself. Yeah, he was totally drenched…and there was a small fish wriggling about stuck in his pocket. He took it out and held it for a moment.

For a few seconds, Keitaro considered just dropping the tiny fish to the ground and stomp on it!

'No. The thing's not guilty for anything. And besides, there's a beautiful girl watching' he kneeled next to the pond and gently dropped the fish into the water. He stood back up. A polite cough coming from the side made him turn around.

"_Disculpe, señor_, are you alright?" the young woman asked again. Keitaro wriggled some water off the hem of his shirt and gave the girl a friendly smile.

"It's alright! I'm fine, really! This one didn't even hurt. Well…not much, but I'm fine!" he said. The young woman kept staring at him oddly. He sweat-dropped and coughed slightly.

"Uhm...you're not from around here, are you?" he asked nervously. That seemed to bring the girl out of her small reverie. She blinked twice and smiled.

"No, no I'm not, _señor_. Sorry, I'm pretty much new here. Sorry if I ask this, but…" she hesitated a bit, looking at Keitaro's dripping-wet form. "Does this happen around here often, _señor_?" she asked. Keitaro blinked twice and laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ah! This? Yeah, it happens everyday. Believe it or not, I DO have some sort of…'fame' around here, actually" he commented, earning a nervous laugh from the girl before him. 'She really IS kinda cute, actually…' he thought briefly. The girl picked up the paper bag from the bench, took out a small loaf of bread, tore it into some tiny pieces and threw them into the pond. Some ducks quietly came over to eat. Keitaro smiled and looked at the woman with curiosity.

"So, if you say you aren't from around here, by your accent I guess you're not Japanese, either?" he asked. She looked at him and then laughed in slight embarrassment.

"_¡Perdón, perdón!_ Sorry I didn't tell you. _Está usted en lo correcto. _I come from Madrid, Spain!" she said cheerfully. She extended a hand to him. "_Soy _Anita Vasquez" Keitaro tried to dry off one of his hands to shake hers.

"Keitaro Urashima. Glad to meet someone from overseas!" he commented. The girl nodded and went back to sit on the bench. Keitaro followed suit, sitting down to at least let the setting sun dry him off a bit. Anita took out a normal loaf of bread and tore it in 2.

"Here, _señor_ Keitaro" she said, offering the other piece to him. He gratefully took it and bit into it. He was actually quite hungry. He hadn't taken a bite since lunchtime…

"So, what brings you all the way here, Anita-_san_?" he asked with interest. She swallowed her piece of bread and looked at Keitaro.

"_Bueno, _I came here as an exchange student. I'm finishing my last year of college, and this is part of the course. I've been studying a lot about this country, and _simplemente me encanta_!" she said cheerfully. Keitaro sweat-dropped. He didn't understand half of what she said in Spanish, but it didn't matter.

"I see…" Keitaro's eyes narrowed for no more than second. "Spain sounds like…a nice country. I've never been overseas, you know? How is life over there?" he asked with interest. Anita smiled brightly and nodded.

"My country is beautiful! It's so full of life, of culture! So much was born in Spain! Our ancestors were the ones to discover _las Americas_!" she said with pride. She was a patriot, alright. "It's a beautiful country, _señor_!" she finished. Keitaro smiled softly.

"Well, that sure sounds like a nice place to live…" he commented softly. Anita nodded. She then looked down at her wristwatch and her pretty features saddened.

"_Ay, ¡joder!_ I'm going to be late for my dance class!" she nearly cried. Keitaro looked at her oddly. She looked back at him and sweat-dropped. "Sorry. There's this Classic Japanese Dance club I signed into the other day, and I just love it!" Keitaro smiled and stood up. Anita followed suit and tore another loaf of bread in half, giving the young man before her one half.

"_Para el camino, Señor _Keitaro. It was good talking to you, but I sadly have to go now. I hope we meet again!" she then turned on her heel and skipped away, waving at him goodbye.

"_Sayonara, _Anita-_san!_" he waved back until she disappeared from his sight. He looked down at the half bread in his hand and he took a bite from it, before walking away in a different direction.

He had made a decision. Screw the repercussions.

He first made his way to the nearest Laundromat to get his soaked clothes dried out. Once done he headed for a recently-opened cyber-café that was near the park. Once there, the owner of the café insisted that Keitaro accepted a Free Hour in one of the computers, as well as a free cup of coffee as courtesy. The guy was "honoured" to have the "famous" Urashima, Keitaro: "The Flying Ronin" in his stablishment.

Keitaro had a famous nickname?!

Anyway. While taking regular sips of his cup of coffee, he surfed on the Internet. He clicked on an Airline's website and began looking for the flying schedules.

"Got it…" he murmured, finishing his coffee. This was the point of no-return…

Less than 5 minutes later, he had a One-Way, 1st Class plane ticket to…

"The wonders of technology…" he whispered to himself. He had about 50 or so more minutes of Free Time, so he spent it looking for accommodation, under suitable prices, of course.

Though he WAS using Granny Hina's Credit Card number.

And once finding a good place, he spent the remaining free time he had playing _Halo: Combat Evolved_, which was installed in the computer.

Keitaro realized he had a born ability for FPS games!

Once his free 60 minutes were up, he left the building, giving the café owner a respectful bow for his kindness. With that, he then made his way back to the Inn.

His home…until 0630 hours the next morning.

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"I'm leaving overseas first thing tomorrow morning, Auntie Haruka-" said woman's trusty paper fan-_sama_ came around to meet his head, just like always. HOW many times did she have to tell him not to-?!

"Not now, please? I'm not in the mood for this" Keitaro said almost casually.

He had effortlessly caught Haruka's fan with his hand, while taking a sip from the small cup of tea before him. He had walked all the way up to the Inn, and when he was about to go in, he changed his mind and walked back to his aunt's café. The least he could do was let her know the news before anyone else. She was just closing down the place for the day when he appeared. She let him in and sat down at a simple table.

The older Urashima's eyes widened for but a second before her face returned to its naturally-calm exterior.

"Can I know why?" she asked. He finished his tea and sighed. His eyes closed for a moment. A short silence later, he opened them again.

"I'm afraid, Haruka" he said softly, dropping the 'aunt' part. The older Urashima raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid that I may eventually...take one-too many and come to hate them" his eyes met hers.

Haruka knew downright that Keitaro was telling the truth. She knew him long enough; whenever he talked about something serious while looking somebody in the eye, he was being completely honest.

"Life used to be so good, Haruka…my dreams had finally come true. It took a long time, yeah. But they did. But now…" he lowered his gaze.

"You want to wake up, huh?" she finished his sentence. She took a drag from her ever-present cigarette and blew the smoke through her nostrils. "I see. Then, who are you leaving in your place as manager? If you want me to run the place, I'll do my best. But remember I have this café to take care of" she let him know, putting the cigarette out on the ashtray on the table.

"Call Kanako-_chan_, You and her are possibly the ONLY ones I would ever trust the Inn to. I don't want to trouble you, so that leaves her as the only option" he said, already dreading his adopted sister's reaction to his decision. Haruka nodded and took out a cell phone from her apron. Keitaro blinked twice.

"Since when do you have that?" he asked, confused. She just gave him a look.

"For a while now. I keep it in…case of emergencies" she said plainly. Keitaro sweat-dropped a bit. Haruka dialled a certain number and handed to phone to her nephew. He waited for a couple of rings and then, someone picked up on the end of the line.

"Good evening. Can I help you…?" came the cold and professional voice. Keitaro let out a small grin.

"Hey there, Kana-_chan_" he greeted her. He heard a gasp and then put the phone away from his ear.

"_ONII-CHAN_! Is that you?!" she all but cried in joy. He actually chuckled.

"Yeah, it's me. Look, I'm calling because there's a favour I need to ask you…"

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Keitaro was now in his room packing his most essential belongings; clothes and textbooks. And the latter were just in case. Or maybe not.

As he had expected, Kanako DID freak out and go on a rant about the bitches that made her _onii-chan_'s life a Hell on Earth up at the Inn when he mentioned his "favour" had to do with the girls. THAT'S when Keitaro told her he was leaving first thing the next day. She had quieted down right after that and her brother spoke just when Kanako was about to go on another rant.

"NO evictions" he had said. "You undertsnad, Kana-_chan_? NO-ONE is evicted. None of them has a place to return to, at least not yet. And NO punishments, either!" he cut Kanako off again. "Besides, not ALL of them have hurt me. The innocent don't deserve to pay for what the guilty did. Understand?" he had asked kindly.

"But _onii-chan_! I-" she had tried again.

"I'm not asking, Kanako" he said again, using all the authority he could muster. His adopted sister had eventually agreed, but she demanded to know just where was he going off to. He hesitated but for a second to reply.

"I saw in the Internet the other day the website of a very interesting Art School in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. I want to go and check it out as a sort of side-study. It'll be good for my college student file" he didn't feel good about lying to his little sister, but it was just necessary. Kanako had agreed, eventually. She would be heading out right away.

The "click!" of 1 of his 2 luggage bags closing had a certain finality to it, actually. He put his bags aside and then took out a pen and a simple sheet of paper. For about the next hour or so, Keitaro did his best to write down his feelings and reasons to departure. Once done, he rolled out his futon, changed into his nightclothes and then settled down in his bedding.

He looked down at the ring that made him Narusegawa's fiancée and when he buried his face in the pillow, he could feel tears trailing down his cheeks.

Keitaro's sleep was restless that night.

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The next morning, Shinobu's alarm clock went off at 8:00 o'clock sharp. She easily got up and went off to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for everybody, just like always. She decided to prepare her _Sempai_'s favourite!

Some time later, the young bluenette went off to call the other residents for breakfast, just like always. This time, she decided to wake up Keitaro first. So, she went upstairs to his room and knocked twice with a cheerful "_Sempai_! Breakfast is ready!"

No response. She then knocked again and waited for a moment. No, no reply again. She then decided to let herself in.

"_Sempai_? Are you alright? Should I-" she fully slid the door open and her mind took about 2 minutes to register what she saw.

Some more seconds later, the entire Hinata Inn was awakened by Shinobu's agonizing cry.

"_SEMPAI_! NO!"

Loud rustling was heard all round, bed sheets were thrown about, bodies hit the floor when legs were en-tangled in poorly discarded blankets.

When the girls arrived at Keitaro's door, they were ready for absolutely anything…BUT to the sight of an unconscious, tear-streaked Shinobu lying on the floor of the Manager's room.

She was holding a small letter in one hand and a silver ring on the other.

When Naru saw the ring, her insides turned cold.

'K-Kei…_Keitaro_…'

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A/N: well this is only the first chapter in what We hope to be of many. please let us know how we did. I can only make the promise that Me and Major Mike Powell III will do our best to bring you a great story. suggestions are welcome as well as flames. Hey we enjoy a good laugh when the flamers come up. well thanks for taking the time to read this first chapter, and remember to R and R.

That's not an A/N! This is it: OFF YOUR SORRY ASSES, MARINES! OFFICER ON DECK!

Now THAT'S how you start an A/N! (Cough) Anyway. This time, I have a new squad member, Vegetto800 who agreed to do this idea, which was MINE by the way. XD

Yeah, yeah, we KNOW this kind of beginning HAS been done a Hell whole lotta times before, but give it a shot! You ain't seen nothin' yet, marines! The best is yet to come.

Disclaimer:…DO we HAVE to put this here? I mean Christ! Dude, I'm SO not doing the crap…

oh well. WE do not own Love Hina or any of its characters. Ken Akamatsu does. so there happy now..?

_Semper-Fi_! Carry on/ Read on people!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Hard Times**

"What the HELL?!" Kitsune shouted.

"Shinobu-_chan_!" Motoko gasped and in a heartbeat, she was cradling the fallen bluenette's body in her strong arms, while Kaolla was perched on her back, looking at her best friend with a worried expression. Motoko took her pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at her seniors.

"She's alright. Her pulse is normal. She's just fainted" she said softly. Kitsune nodded and looked around the room, running a hand through her sandy-blonde hair.

"Well, I DID hear'er sayin' breakfast's ready, so we should take'er to the living room so she can-" she was cut-off by the chef herself.

"H-He's go-gone…_S-Se-Sempai_…gone…" Shinobu whispered weakly before her eyes shot wide open and fresh tears sprang forth. She clung onto Motoko's white _gi_ and buried her _kawaii_ round face in the garment.

Motoko's eyes narrowed, Mitsune's opened half-way and Kaolla's flickered in confusion. They took a look around the room.

It was absolutely empty. It's only occupants were a bunch of cardboard boxes.

It was a damn ghost town.

Their eyes shot wide open. A sob came from Narusegawa, who had been kneeling on the floor of Keitaro's room, holding a golden, silver-trimmed ring in one hand and a letter in the other.

She choked another sob, then another. She kept chocking until the tears came: Naru dropped the letter and the ring, and threw herself into Kitsune's arms, crying unabashedly into her best friend's chest.

The fox and the _samurai_ didn't know what to do…so they just stayed put, holding a crying Naru and Shinobu, respectively.

None of them felt hungry.

The letter Keitaro left behind did next to nothing to lessen the blow of his departure…

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The food Shinobu prepared was cold by the time the girls went to the living room; Naru was tenderly holding Keitaro's letter…and his discarded engagement ring in her hands. Motoko's face was an unreadable mask, while Kitsune held a –still- shaking Narusegawa by her shoulders. Shinobu was cradled in Kaolla's arms as they walked.

Once they were all settled around a small coffee table with the letter displayed before them. After a few seconds of tense silence, Mitsune decided to step forward and read the letter:

_I've said this so many times before…yet I'll say it once more: I'm sorry._

_Sorry for being the lousy, weak coward that I am…Sorry for letting all of you down._

_But this HAD to be done. I just couldn't take it anymore. I HAD to get out of there before things got worse. Not for me…but for YOU. I HAD to leave BEFORE the love I felt for each and every one of you…disappeared._

_And what I feared the most…that said love left a burning hatred in its stead. Because I could feel it, you know? I could feel that…Fury…burning inside me. My greatest fear was that it came out and..._

_I feared that I'd finally snap and did what I swore to never, EVER do: hurt you. And as they say: desperate times need desperate measures…and for me, times had never been more desperate._

_Believe whatever you want to believe, I don't care. I'm doing this for me AND for you. I'm using whatever authority I ever had to do this final decision: this is for the best. Both for myself as well as for you._

_I will NOT tell you where I'm going. I know you all well enough to know that you WILL go after me AND drag me back, whatever your reasons may be. _

_And I KNOW that it will NOT work out for any of us._

_I'm not dumb enough to make a stupid mistake like that. Even if YOU think so._

_Well, I guess that's as clear as I'll ever be about my reasons. Now, you must know that my sister, Kanako-_chan_ will be there soon to take charge. And even though I TOLD her to NOT punish any of you, DO NOT think for a second that she'll go easy on you…Most of you, anyway. I left another letter for her with the necessary instructions._

_Now, as for you girls…I guess I DO owe some of you a fair goodbye._

_Shinobu_-chan_. During all my time here, you were that little candle that lit the dark path before me. I know I've disappointed you by running away like this. Hate me if you want to. That's all I deserve from you. I do hope that your incredible meals will continue to keep the other girls happy. _

_I know they always made me smile._

_Suu-_chan_, Your boundless energy gave life to this Inn and all those living in it. I knew for a fact that _I _was the reason you chose to remain as a child. Please, Suu-_chan_. Don't throw your childhood away because I have disappointed you. Please for your own sake, stay as you are. I know you're happy being a child. And I see no reason for you to change that in any way. _

_Just always remember I'll always think of you as my energetic little sister. Oh! And I also hope you stop trying to eat Tama-_chan

_Thanks for everything, Shinobu. Kaolla._

_And for the others…_

_Naru-_chan_. You took my breath away. And you kept it in your grasp so I could suffocate…I offered you my heart, you ripped it out and kept it in your hand…never releasing it…but slowly squeezing it to your own heart's content. _

_In case I'm not clear enough: our engagement NEVER happened._

_And even though I said all of this…_

_I loved you, love you, and always will…Then again…I'm not sure anymore._

_Kitsune-_san_. My wallet hates you. But I don't…even when I should. _

_And you KNOW I have every reason to do so. You were not directly responsible for my suffering…but you WERE a part of it. If my fears came true…I don't even want to imagine the consequences. _

_Anyway…you're another girl that took my breath away every time I saw you._

_I sometimes wonder…WHAT would it be like if things had gone some other way? Would _something_ be born had _you _changed a little bit? Anyway…we'll never know. _

_I do hope we meet again. And I hope you lay off the drinking a bit, too…But I know it's none of my business, either way, I'll miss you._

_Motoko-_chan_. You surely think I'm a despicable, honour-less coward. Well, I'll always think of you as the noble, proud, skilled warrior AND woman that you are. _

_I was always amazed by your skills. Mainly because I was a training dummy to practice'em on. Hell, I think I'm even missing them…Reflexes, I guess. _

_Mutsumi-_san_. What can I say? I'd say that pretty much thanks to you…I fulfilled The Promise. _

_Then again, we can all see how well THAT worked, right? You did everything in your power to keep a balance between me and Naru-_chan_. Even thought it ended this way, I want you to know that this was NOT your fault. Know that you're always in my thoughts, Mutsumi-_san

_After all, someone like you is impossible to forget. Please, do me the smallest of favours and keep an eye on the girls._

_Yes. Even Narusegawa. _

_I'm gonna miss your beautiful smile. _

_Goodbye. _

_Until we meet again._

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Shinobu's head was hung low and her tear-stained face was buried in her hands. Kaolla's arms were wrapped around her as the tanned-skinned girl hugged her friend lovingly. Kitsune's eyes were open half-way and tears were effortlessly slipping through and sliding down her cheeks. Naru's eyes were wide open and unfocused, staring at the golden-silver band in her quivering hand. Motoko's head was hung low in shame and sobs shook her body.

That's when the former manager's sister walked in; clad in her usual white and black dress and her cat Kuro perched on her shoulder; her extra-long antenna swishing back and forth with her movements. Her face was an unreadable mask.

Kanako had gone up to Haruka's Tea Shop before heading further up to the Inn. There was a letter waiting for her, though.

It was from her beloved _onii-chan_.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

_Kana-_chan

_I'm sorry, but I lied to you. I'm not going to America. Nor am I staying here. By the time you get this, I will be long gone. Don't bother looking for me. This time: I'm gone for good._

_Now, I hereby leave you in charge as the legal owner and resident manager of the Hinata All-Girls Dormitory. Please, take good care of it as I did. And though I lied to you about where I was going, I did NOT lie about how I want YOU to treat the girls._

_You remember Shinobu-_chan_ and Suu-_chan_? Yes? Then, you should know that they were _the_ reasons that made me hesitate about leaving. Treat them as you would your very own little sisters. As for the others…remember what I told you: NO evictions. NO punishments. _

_I want to believe you'll do me this final favour. I'm trusting the girls to you. I have full confidence in your ability to fill in my role, so I know you won't let me down…like I have._

_So, Kanako-_chan_. I'm sorry we didn't get to run the inn together. That's yet another promise I failed to fulfil. I'm sorry to leave you with this burden, but I think you understand._

_Goodbye my sister. Until we meet again._

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"My _onii-chan_ has named me the official owner and resident manager of this place" she began with her eyes closed. "And if it were up to me…" her eyes opened, revealing a burning rage in their depths. Her stoic mask shattered, leaving an animalistic snarl in its place. "I would have you…you BITCHES all kicked out of here! I would then turn this place back into an inn so my _onii-chan_would-" she cut herself off before she absolutely lost control and her rage took over.

She quickly recomposed herself with a heavy sigh. She brushed some stray locks of raven hair behind her ear. Her hatred-filled gaze fell upon a weeping bluenette with her head low and her face buried in her hands, and a grim-looking, tanned skinned girl holding her close.

"Shinobu-_san_, Kaolla-_san_" their heads rose and their eyes met Kanako's –now- compassionate, warm ones. "My _onii-chan_ informed me about your situation. You were the only ones here that treated my brother kindly. With dignity. You have my gratitude and respect" she bowed her head briefly. The younger girls looked at her for a moment and returned the gesture.

Kanako's gaze then burned with hatred again when her eyes fell on a dark-looking Kitsune, who was slowly and repeatedly waving a _sake_ bottle in her hand, staring at the liquid swirling inside, a raven-haired _samurai_ with her eyes closed, biting her lower lip up to nearly drawing blood while tears kept slipping through her eyelashes…and a –still in shock- honey-brunette, who was clutching tightly onto her former fiancée's ring.

At this sight, Kanako's eyes flared with un-abashed hatred.

"And you…" she hissed. In what could have been a fraction of a mili-second, the dark-haired girl leapt from her position and ended up inches away from Naru. The other half of a second later, her open palm connected viciously with Narusegawa's cheek.

The girl's body ended up sprawled on the hardwood floor; her eyes still unresponsive…and the ring still clutched in her hand, the same hand that still wore her very own engagement ring.

Keitaro's adopted sister snarled and grabbed Naru's hand, which was clutching at the ring, yanking it open and taking the discarded golden-silver band. The brunette immediately panicked and reached out to the small piece of jewellery. However, Kanako held her arm tightly, actually cutting-off the blood flow to her hand.

"This is not yours. Nor do you have ANY right to keep it!" she barked and she effortlessly held Naru's arm as she slowly, lovingly slid her brother's ring onto her own finger, matching nicely. She smirked at the way Narusegawa's face paled.

"And you certainly won't be needing this" she said casually and with a wicked gleam in her eyes. She spread the brunette's numb fingers and, using just her thumb and index fingers, she pulled Naru's ring off and put it in her breast pocket.

"If only _onii-chan_ had given this to me…" she muttered to herself when she released her vice grip on Naru's numb arm. She shook her head. She'd leave her grieving for later. Kanako had a job to do here.

The goth's face returned to its emotionless mask.

"Things are going to change around here!" she said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6 months passed since that fateful day.

True to Kanako's word, things did change. Not all of the changes were pleseant.

First: everyone would have their duties as tenants, taking major part in the cleaning and other up-keeps of the dormitory. Only the 2 youngest residents of the Inn were spared, according to Kanako's words "Shinobu-_san_ and Kaolla-_san_ not only are underage, but they also have done enough for all of you!"

However, Shinobu still worked as the main cook of the Inn. The other girls just did NOT know how to cook anything decent.

Second: came the increase in the rent. Some of the girls "fought" the increase, but Kanako gave them the simplest of choices: "Like it or leave", even despite her beloved brother's words, which Kanako did her very best to keep. Anyway, that worked to gain the girls' cooperation.

A luxury or 2 were afforded, such as a brand new 40" High Definition LCD screen TV, whose signal Suu herself modified to have world-wide range, so that they didn't have to hire a Cable service. And to accompany the TV, a Xbox 360 with a full aray of games were included to keep almost everyone of them happy at some point. Su of course went out and purchased the brand new _Halo 3_ and was so estactic that even FOOD!, took a back seat to the game. A playstation 2 was bought for the few that did not like the 360. _BLACK_, _Soul Calibur 3 _and the _Ace Combat _series were popular with the likes of Naru, Kitsune and oddly…Motoko, as well.

She was interested in the Ace Style feature of _Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War_. Her favourite was Knight Ace.

Either way, these were only physical changes; the most important were the changes the tenants went through themselves.

The time during the first months was spent in near-mourning for the loss of their beloved manager. That's what Kanako's working "regime" was for: to keep the girls occupied, busy enough so that they didn't brood during the day, as well as to…let out some of her frustration on something.

All the girls, including Kanako still did their own share of crying at night when they were all safely tucked away in their rooms.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Shinobu spent entire days locked away in her own room, only coming out to prepare the meals, which were pretty much her way to let out her grief: everyday she made delicious, 5-Star rated meals for her fellow tenants…but remembering to put extra spicy sauce in Narusegawa's food.

This…this was ALL Narusegawa's fault!

Once she put her hands on the PS2 controls, however, Shinobu spent some decent hours playing _Soul Calibur 3_ with either Kaolla or Motoko, who turned out to be excellent players.

Anyway…Shinobu loved her _Sempai_.

And no matter what everyone else believed, her love for Keitaro WAS real. He wasn't just a crush that would eventually go away with time. He WAS the One for her.

Now, Shinobu's only comfort were her beloved _Sempai_'s farewell words. Yes, she DID feel hurt by Keitaro's departure…but she forgave him. She knew that he had no choice. And he DID say in his letter that she and Kaolla were his sole reasons for staying.

And besides…Shinobu believed that love was about forgiving.

She only hoped he was alright, wherever he was…and single. She was nearing her 17th birthday and she did hope that if –and- when she saw him again he…he would finally see her as the woman she was now and not the…the kid she used to be.

Shinobu longed to see her _Sempai_ again…AS did others.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kaolla wasn't the same anymore.

Without Keitaro there, she tried to stay as a child, fighting off the emptiness left behind by his departure, which was being taken over by her adult side. Suu wanted to remain as a child to stay as Shinobu's equal, as well as to keep the often-sobbing bluenette company during many nights.

However, it wasn't long before Kaolla gave in to her adult form, transforming into the beautiful, fully grown woman Suu became under the light of the Red Moon.

The others kept asking the tanned-skinned girl –before and after she transformed into her older self- to build a Keitaro-TrackerTM or some other device to find him.

However, the foreigner girl denied their demands every time. And once she was transformed, she would gaze out the window with a lonely expression, play a low tune on her guitar-like instrument and say "He doesn't want to be found"

Silence was all the others would get from her after that, and they were un-sure on how they should proceed to getting her to give in to their demands. They were so desperate to find Keitaro…it seemed like all of them had gone completely crazy!

And with her childhood abandoned, Kaolla often found herself longing for the man that she felt was meant for her.

"Keitaro…" she would constantly whisper when she was alone.

However, in the meantime, she often shared a bed with her best of friends, Shinobu during many nights…

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Just like the rest, Mitsune truly wasn't the same either.

Given her own reputation, the first thing everybody thought she would do –while not doing her share of chores, that is- would be to drown her sorrows on alcohol.

However, she was more affected than that: she would just sit down in the middle of her room, watching her professional-like collection of drinks lined up along her walls; it was disgusting!

Not even 2 nights after Keitaro's departure had Kitsune decided to quit drinking. Of course, this was an incredible challenge to her willpower.

Not only was she fond of Keitaro; she couldn't exactly tell when it started, but during many nights, Kitsune had wished to take Naru's place in the brunette's fiancée's arms. Hell, it was long before that…perhaps, about a year after Keitaro had arrived at the Inn…perhaps it was around that time that she'd started wishing to…have the young man's arms wrapped around her during the nights…to have him whisper sweet nothings into her ears as often as possible…but Hell. The guy was Naru's property from freakin' day 1.

Once Keitaro and Narusegawa had finally hooked up, during Kanako's "Reign of Terror", Mitsune felt she was ready to let the boy go…but she was damn mistaken. Goddamn it…Kitsune wanted Keitaro enough that she had NEARLY asked Naru once if…if she could _test-drive_ her fiancée, so that he knew how to please his future wife when the time came.

Of course, Mitsune was too damn afraid of Narusegawa's most possible reaction, so that idea was out of the question.

But now…if things between Naru and Seta had gone bad…then, things between her and her former fiancée had gone disastrous. For some time, Kitsune DID feel hurt, betrayed and angry; hurt by Keitaro's departure, betrayed by Naru, whose attitude and actions had triggered this whole fiasco in the first place…and angry at both her –former- best friend, Keitaro…AND herself…for being so goddamn stupid to begin with!

Keitaro's farewell words had made her think: what if…?

Now…about after 3 to 4 months, being completely sober, Kitsune took her freelance writing job back up again, and began writing again: short stories based off the own happenings at the Inn itself, but with changed names and situations.

It was a sort of way to let out her feelings.

And while she was at it, she tried everything within her power to track down Keitaro, using some of her contacts within the media; any news somewhere, dealing with a literally indestructible dork, for example.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Motoko meditated for hours on end for weeks.

Keitaro's departure had left a void in her heart, and the swordswoman was confused; the former _ronin_ had proven to Motoko that not ALL men were the filthy, perverted pigs she had long-believed they were.

Yes, for about a month or 2, Motoko DID think of Keitaro as a despicable, honour-less coward. However, she soon forgave him.

The former _ronin_ had long ago held her and made her feel safe…and loved for the first time, when Motoko had utterly defeated by her older sister, Tsuruko, and she and Keitaro had tried to deceive her, acting as if they were married.

She had been helpless without her sword, having failed to live as a normal girl…she had been vulnerable. And…Keitaro didn't try to take advantage of her. He was still infatuated with Narusegawa at the time, but she now understood that his sense of honour, love and concern for her kept his instincts in check.

Aoyama kept wondering over and over again…just _what_ would've happened if Keitaro hadn't put those ridiculous clothes pins on his face?

What if…Motoko hadn't been so blind back then? What if she had been more open, accepting of her feelings…? What if…?

What if SHE had confessed her love for him sooner?

In the end, it didn't matter. Motoko had "entrusted" Keitaro to Narusegawa, for –former- senior. It wasn't what she truly wanted, but she did it for the happiness of everyone else.

THESE were the results.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mutsumi didn't take the news well. She probably took them worse than the rest.

No matter what Keitaro said in his farewell letter…this WAS her fault!

She…she WAS there with them 15 years ago!

First was The Promise she made with Keitaro. Then, came _another_ promise she made to Narusegawa, without the boy present.

That…that _ridiculous_ promise…the Promise that had compelled, driven Keitaro forward to enter Toudai and be with his Promised Girl…

Mutsumi knew it from the very beginning: Keitaro's bright, smiling face when they were just little children would always remain with her, sealed in her memory and in her heart. The hope of seeing boy's warm, brown eyes again were what drove her forward to enter Toudai as well…and if…if Kei-_kun _and Na-_chan_ NEVER met…then…she could've…

Yet, Fate proved to be cruel.

And yes, just like all the others…Mutsumi let him go. She loved him with her heart and soul…and she entrusted…_gave_ him to Narusegawa: the one Keitaro BELIEVED to be his _Promised Girl_.

Now Mutsumi wished she had a dagger or an amulet to turn back in Time and change all that. She now wished she had NEVER so much as mentioned that story…that fairy tale of a "happily-ever-after". She knew that Kei-_kun_ and Na-_chan_ were absolutely NOT meant for each other.

The events leading to Keitaro's departure were evidence enough.

Without Keitaro close to her, without being able to see his gentle smile…Mutsumi's life took a turn to the worse: She distanced herself from her friends up at the Hinata Inn, her normal fainting spells became more frequent, due to the depression she inevitably fell into.

She even ended up waking up at the hospital with serious head injuries.

For the watermelon-loving woman, without Keitaro there with them…with _her_…Mutsumi had no motivation to attend to Toudai, and her fainting spells turned more painful each time. And as days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, her life seemed to even get harder. She even tended to have a single cup of _sake_ every night before going to sleep.

Otohime just wanted…she just wanted to see Keitaro's smiling face.

Despite blaming herself for this…she followed the other girls' lead and blamed Narusegawa for the current situation. And Mutsumi did her best to subtly let her –former- study partner that she WAS at fault for all this.

Mutsumi admitted to herself that she WAS selfish. She wasn't blind to everyone else's pain…but she believed hers was the worst of them.

Some nights…she had very livid dreams of Keitaro suddenly appearing at her doorstep, enveloping her in his arms and then whispering sweet, loving words in her ears…and then telling her exactly what she wanted to hear: "I love you, Mutsu-_chan_"…before carrying her –bridal style- to her bed, laying her down gently and then…

The Okinawan frequently woke up the next morning covered in a thin sheen of sweat, her bed sheets carelessly tossed aside…and her usual sleeping robe discarded as well.

She would then cry.

Just like Motoko, Kitsune and most likely the other girls as well…she spent the last 6 months thinking about the "what if's"…

"Please, Kei-_kun_…forgive me and…please, come back to…us…to me…" was her every-night silent plea to the night sky after having a cup of _sake_ before going to bed.

When Mutsumi was but a child, her mother had told once…

"There's no such thing as a loveless life, honey. Yes, life can be hard. But love is within everybody's reach…as long as they believe there is still a chance!"

And so, Mutsumi based her resolve in her mother's words, and so she believed there still was a chance for her. She prayed for Keitaro's return.

She prayed for another chance.

Naru turned into an emotional wreck from Day 1.

Unhesitant, she distanced herself from everyone, locking herself away in her room…whenever she wasn't doing some heavy duty chores around the Inn, courtesy of Kanako of course. And while she worked…she moved about like a ghost, no-one ever noticing her unless it was at meal times.

Without her ex-fiancée by her side…as well as without her own engagement ring (Which was now a nice match on Kanako's finger), she became a shell of her former self.

In the begining she didn't eat or sleep for days, only going out on her own will at night, like a night crawler.

She was an empty soul, and nobody seemed to care.

And all of her –once- friends turning their backs on her didn't make things any better; they were all sure of 1 thing: This was ALL Narusegawa's fault!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Now, back in the present…

Kitsune sat on the couch in the common room of the Inn; after lunch, Shinobu and Kaolla had retreated to the foreigner young woman's room. Kitsune had just the _slightest_ idea of just _what_ those 2 were doing. Motoko was doing the laundry, along with Kanako, who volunteered to help the _samurai, _which was actually kind of…"disturbing", as Kanako and Motoko CLEARLY didn't _like _each other very much…well, at least, Kitsune thought so.

Narusegawa was isolated in her room.

Mitsune didn't really give a damn about'er. And she hadn't heard anything from Mutsumi in over a couple of months now.

Anyway. There was a half-empty soda can in her right hand and a horse-racing form in her left. The TV sat in the background, blaring on the International Sports channel she had flipped on awhile back, waiting for the horse races to start.

She needed the money right now for a little plan she had made up a couple of days ago…and it concerned finding their former _kanrinin_.

While the announcers presented the sponsors and other sorts of publicity before the race, there were the usual latest-news messages that scrolled along the bottom line of the screen.

"Matador people call _The Son of Juan Belmonte_ takes on 'The Rhyno': the strongest bull the _National Stables _has ever produced…" that caught Mitsune's eye a little bit.

She didn't pay to much attention to it though. However, another message suddenly came on screen and she threw the paper onto the coffee table before her.

"Damn it!" she cursed loudly. Just great! The race had just been cancelled due to unexpected weather complications. Just great…Kitsune just laid back on the couch, tapping the remote with her finger.

She though she could play some Xbox 360, then. She could let her frustration out on terrorists in _Rainbow Six: Vegas_…However, she suddenly considered that head line she saw just seconds ago. It might be a nice distraction to see what that _matador_ guy had to offer. In fact…it might just be a good bet, though she hadn't considered bull-fighting as a gambling spot before…

Anyway, she flipped to the right channel, set the remote down on the couch and waited for a moment for the commercials to end. The show then came on, with an aerial take of a huge, traditional-yet-modern looking arena.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome back!" came the announcer's English-accented voice. "Now, this is the part we have all been waiting for! I'm Jerry 'The King' Lawler and right next to me is my new buddy! Right, Carlos Cabrera?"

"_Es verdad_, Jerry!" replied his partner with a heavily-accented voice. "We are coming live from the beautiful _Plaza de Toros_, in the heart of Madrid! And now, we are about to witness, yet again, the _espectáculo todos han estado _waiting for!" the camera then switched to a close up of the massive crowd sitting around the arena.

"Hahahaha! C'mon, buddy! Calm down a bit! I can't understand half of what yer saying! Now, what are we gonna see now, Carlitos?"

"_Bueno, _in just a moment, right through those gates over there…" the camera then shifted to look at a man-sized, wooden gate. "Shall come out the matador people have named _The Sun of Juan Belmonte_, the greatest _torero_ our country has ever produced! And what's most incredible of all…"

"This young man is Japanese!" Jerry Lawler finished his partner's sentence.

Kitsune's eyebrows rose. She was getting interested…suddenly, the gates the camera was focusing on opened and the _torero_ stepped through. The camera switched to a bit closer, sideway angle. Kitsune rose up a bit from the couch, now sitting on the edge so she could get a better view. The crowd erupted in cheers for the fighter as he entered the arena. The matador was wearing a red, white and silver-trimmed "Suit of Lights".

"Just hear that ovation, Carlos! This is just like the damn Roman coliseum! These people are hungry for blood, hahahaha!" the announcers laughed. "And since when has this matador been driving the masses crazy, buddy?

"It's been about 6 months since this young _torero_ made his first appearance in this very arena!" Mitsune's eyes opened ¾ way. "However, his very first time here was a real _fiasco_! And very ironically, he was facing THIS very bull! _The Rhyno_ is the beast's name! This young man wasn't good enough, and got _corneado_! Incredibly, he survived and recovered in about a month! And when he came back, he was a changed man! He went through a 'special' kind of training, and he fought his way through to return to the most prestigious arena in all of Spain!"

"Whoa! Now that's quite a History lesson, hahahaha! Let's see now what this young man can do here!"

At first, Mitsune couldn't clearly see the matador's face due to the long-view camera angle that showed him walking out the fighters' pit. The crowd cheered loudly once again when the _Son of Juan Belmonte_ bowed deeply and gracefully, showing his respect to the people.

The camera then closed in on him…and for some reason Kitsune couldn't explain, her heart began beating fast. She then understood why.

The matador's face came into full view and he winked at the camera, smiling.

"HOLY SHIT!" she exclaimed in absolute shock.

With her eyes flying wide open, she turned towards the stairs, kitchen and dinning areas of the inn.

"EVERYONE! GET DOWN HERE REAL QUICK!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A/N: ON YOUR FEET MARINES! OFFICER ON DECK!

Now, sorry for the delay. We just had some trouble putting our ideas together and merge'em into this thing called a chapter here. XD Hope it was enlightening, angsty enough! Don't worry, the atmosphere will hopefully lighten up a bit soon. Just be patient.

Now, we're officially open for suggestions on the pairings for this fic, so feel free to speak your mind…UNLESS you're some lousy, pathetic, moronic, etc…Naru-Lover/Fan. In that case…then just wut da FUK are ya people doin' here?! XD

Ok, 'guess that was good enough of an A/N…

Disclaimer: **Major Mike Powell III and Vegetto800** do not own the rights to Love Hina or its characters. only Ken Akamatsu does.

_Semper-Fi!_ Carry on!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Journey Begins**

---------------------------------------------------------------

The sounds of several sets of pounding feet were heard rushing down towards the common room, where both Mitsune and the TV were.

Motoko was the first to arrive on the scene, with Kanako appearing shortly after...and their hair was in slight disarray; Aoyama's was the tiniest bit ruffled and there were not 1 but 2 antenna-like strands of hair sticking out the top of Urashima's head, and both girls' cheeks were slightly flushed.

'_For some reason, I AIN'T surprised. Hmmmmm…I gotta tease'em about this_' Mitsune thought briefly.

Everything looked normal to the 2 young women, but they could tell Kitsune was definitely in distress; both her eyes were wide-open and she was…pointing her finger at the TV, which was turned on behind her.

Motoko and Kanako shared a look.

"Kitsune-_san_? What's the matter?" Aoyama asked casually. Both girls' intrigue was starting to be replaced by a bit of worry for the older woman's behaviour.

"Konno-_san_, we heard you shouting. What is it?" Kanako prodded. Kitsune didn't trust her voice and kept waving her arms frantically around, pointing repeatedly at the TV.

"Just…I…I mean…damn! Just LOOK!" Mitsune stepped aside and let waved at the girls to look.

Both girls complied and at first, they didn't notice anything out of place. Just a sold-out bullfighting arena, thousands of fans cheering at a man in a pretty skin-tight, shinny suit…the announcers giving out usual comments…such as that this young man came to Spain about…6 months earlier…he came from the Far East…

The camera did a close-up on the _torero_.

Their jaws went slack. 6 months of nothing from him…and…there he was…about to take on a bull…

'_A BULL?!_' both girls thought at the same time.

The young man's bullfighter garb sent some shivers up their spines…this was confusing, to say the least.

"Pretty shockin', huh?" Kitsune asked finally, bringing them out of their stupor. Kanako shook her head repeatedly and began rubbing her forehead. Motoko began fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Alright! WHAT'S going on here?!" Narusegawa came out, cracking her knuckles. She stormed in the room, looking left and right.

"Always one for violence, right, Narusegawa-_san_" Kanako asked coldly. The older girl just ignored her.

"The TV. Look" Kitsune instructed her no-longer-best friend.

"Wha…? What do you mea-?" When Naru looked at the TV, she was just as shell-shocked like the others…if not more so.

There he was…about to take on a fearsome bull…in a sold-out outdoor arena…_him_. Her former fiancée…Urashima, Keitaro.

Her only response was shocked silence.

The rest of the Hinata crew had by now reached the bottom of the stairs. Shinobu, Kaolla and Haruka were all looking at the scene in front of them. Suu's arms were wrapped around Shinobu's petite frame, holding her protectively.

At first, Maehara's gaze was filled with fear for what might be happening, and Suu's was blazing and ready to protect Shinobu if needed, but both girls calmed down when they saw nothing out of the ordinary going on in the room.

Shinobu looked around the room in confusion.

"Ummm…that is…what's going on?" she asked timidly. A moment went by, and became even more confused when she got no answer.

Haruka, just like always, had her neutral expression slapped on her face, including the ever-present cigarette loosely dangling from her rosy red lips.

'_Ok…what's going on here? Kana-_chan_'s got a headache, Motoko's fidgety, Shinobu-_chan_ and Suu-_chan_ are holding onto one another…they're cute. Naru's just silent and Kitsune's staring at the TV…hey, wait a minute…is that who I think it is?_' she thought and her eyes widened when she noticed who the handsome young man on the TV really was.

Another few minutes passed…a few, very silent minutes. Suddenly, everyone was shaken out of their silence when Naru began screaming like she was being hacked to death.

"Naru! What the hell…!?" came a startled yell from Kitsune.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Haruka rolled her eyes and looked back at the TV.

There he was.

Keitaro was walking calmly towards the middle of a sold out outdoor arena. Fans were screaming at the top of their lungs in cheer for the obviously popular young man.

This was certainly interesting, Haruka noted to herself. '_Whoa…looks like he's bulked up a bit_' she thought for a moment.

"Alright. So, we found'im, and looks like he's enjoying himself." she spoke dryly to the young women in the room.

"** ENJOYING HIMSELF?!!" **everyone yelled out in disbelief.

The announcer on the TV began speaking in loud tones so that he could hear himself over the loudly cheering crowd. This brought the attention of everyone back to the situation at hand.

"So! Tell me again, Carlos!" Jerry "The King" Lawler said to his partner. "What are we seeing here? Who is this young man? How did he come to be? Tell me! Ahaha!" he spoke cheerfully.

"Well, King. I'll tell you, once again: this young man has been nicknamed _The Lost Son of Juan Belmonte_, the best _torero_ our country has ever produced, and who created the close quarters combat style of bullfighting. Juan Belmonte made what bullfighting here in Spain is! And this young man right here, King, has practically surpassed him!" spoke Carlos Cabrera. Jerry gave out a long whistle.

"Whoa, that's quite a History lesson, Carlitos! But I hear the man down there is about to take on 'The Rhyno' wasn't so good the first time he faced it, right?"

"Yes, that's right, unfortunely. He attempted to take on a bull that was every bit as nasty as the one he's facing now, in his first bout, and lets just say that it didn't turn out to pretty..if you get my drift King." Jerry Lawler just laughed.

"C'mon, buddy! Don't hold back. I spent my good years as a pro wrestler and announcer myself in the WWE. I've seen some true beat ups, believe me!"

"Well, if you say so…this young man right here was mortally wounded when he failed to use his cape properly and ended up in the floor, with the bull stomping on him as well as using it's horns. It was a horrible sight, King. Believe me on that one."

"Wow! That sure sounds nasty. And then? What happened?"

"Well, he spent about 2 to 3 months in a coma on a hospital bed due to his injuries, but he miraculously recovered and after about a month in rehab and training, he came back! And by God he came back big time! He gave us, the fans of this great sport, an awesome show! And what's most important: he took on the same bull that put him away!"

"Whoa! Now THAT's what I call payback! Ahahaha!"

"That's right! He gave us a great show, and has kept doing it for the last 2 months, starring in several other arenas throughout the country, taking on beast after beast, for us to enjoy!"

"Alright, thanks for the information Carlos" Jerry Lawler finished and then the sponsors of the event came on. "And remember: the following contest is brought to you by PlayStation 2, Live in your World, Play in Ours, and M&M's, the chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand! Man! I just LOVE M&M's and PUPPIES! Hahahahaha!"

A stunned, tension-filled silence ensued after that last comment. And not just because they were clueless about the intended pun.

So much had happened…Keitaro had nearly gotten himself killed…and they had no idea…Well, at least his "immortality" wasn't just indigenous to Hinata or Japan themselves.

"I…I think…" Shinobu swallowed. "I think we should go to him…" came her soft and subtle voice.

Slowly, everyone in the room turned to look at the bluenette. The lingering stares started to make her feel uncomfortable, a little bit. Just as she was about to turn and leave the room to get away from the piercing stares, they all-at-once nodded in agreement.

"Ah…sorry to ruin the fun, girls…but what about the money? 'Cuz I'm flat broke, ya know?" Kitsune said, pulling her pockets inside out to add to her comment.

The other girls shared knowing looks.

None of them had any funds…

Haruka did wise to stay quiet; she didn't want to reveal she had a little "Nest Egg" stashed away. She was hesitant at first. That money "meant" a lot to her, but she saw the disheartened looks on most of the girls' faces…and that was sort of enough to melt her ice-encased heart.

"Ah, people…I…" she SO didn't want to do this. "I have…a little bit of a stash, you know? I guess we…we can use it to find my nephew" her voice was deadpanned, but she was mentally screaming.

'_Such a softie, damn it!_'

The girls' faces brightened up considerably and more than one: namely Shinobu and Kitsune nearly jumped onto the house mother, to share a hug with her. A moment later, Haruka was off to the local bank to empty out her savings and call the airport for reservations. Yes, they DID see the all-but pained expression on the older woman's face before she left.

"I would say that money meant a lot to Haruka-_san_. When we get back, I suggest we do something to make it up to her" Kaolla analyzed the situation.

"I think Suu-_chan_'s right. We should pay Haruka-_san_ back for her sacrifice" Motoko agreed. She was grateful, as should be the others.

" Koalla's right.. WE should do anything possible to pay back Haruka for her sacrifice." Motoko was happy and at the sametime confused on how she truely felt about Keitaro. Never-the-less, she was not about to take this gift of Haruka's and waste it.

Everyone agreed, and then they all went off to pack for the trip.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Naru was packing in her room, and while she did so, she was debating on whatever or not to call her former study partner and…former friend Otohime, Mutsumi, to let her know what was going on.

However…

'_I DON'T need any more competition on this…so…screw her!_'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

About an hour later, Haruka returned with news: their plane tickets were ready and a cab would be there in less than 30 minutes. Also, the trip to Europe would take approximately 12-14 hours.

It was a long trip…but seeing their beloved Keitaro again would be worth it.

Once they were all packed and loaded, the girls had plenty of time left until the cab's arrival, so Shinobu decided to make a light lunch for everyone. After all, cooking was her personal way to deal with her own anxiety.

Now, they ate while sitting in front of the TV, watching the Keitaro perform as the _matador_ he now was.

The girls watched and ate quietly while they watched him taunt, get close and evade the bull and its deadly-looking horns. It was almost hypnotic.

The perfectly fluid gestures and manoeuvres, the perfect timing, the taunting of the bull, the colors, the sounds of "OLÉE!" that came from the crowd with each perfect evade.

Things started to get violent, however, and the girls could only watch in amazement and a tad bit of morbid curiosity of what would happen next: Keitaro began to stab the bull with colourful, sharp blades repeatedly, and as they watched the blood seep out of the angry bull, the girls could almost "feel" the building momentum.

"Damn!" Jerry "The King" Lawler commented. "Carlos, I'm gettin' the feeling something is building up here, you know what I mean?" he asked his partner.

"Yes, yes, King! I can feel it too! The end is near!" he replied.

The girls' eyes were glued to the high definition screen and they all gasped when Keitaro brought up from behind his cape a razor-sharp, deadly looking rapier. The young man gave an unexpected bow to the animal standing before him, as if…in respect.

"And there it is, King! The _Bow to the Dead_! This show is about to end, my friend!" Carlos Cabrera said excitedly.

Unexpectedly, Keitaro began to run full speed towards the bull, which charged at the same time, lowering it's head; sharp, deadly horns aiming directly ahead, looking to pierce clothes, flesh and bone.

"And HERE IT IS! _El Salto del Tigre_!

The girls gasped as one when Keitaro gracefully leapt into the air in a sideway manner and with an almost inhuman speed and precision buried the rapier right in between the bull's shoulder blades. Twirling in mid-air, he kept hold of the rapier and spun it with his body, the sickening squelch that came from the blade being twisted, resonating throughout the arena. The girls heard it and a few of them had to try VERY hard not to throw up.

Keitaro landed gracefully. He just stood there a moment looking at the now struggling bull. After a moment or two, the bull finally gave out and fell over its own limbs, finally taking it's last gasp of shuddering breath before dieing.

The crowd erupted in cheers and even the girls couldn't help but jump up at the victory. All through this, Keitaro just stood there with his eyes closed.

He was mourning over the bull's death. Soon though he opened his eyes and turned to the crowd of cheering fans and gave a little smile and a wave to those same adoring fans.

"My God! That was just AMAZING, Carlitos! The Tiger Sault, everybody!" The King was excited beyond all belief.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

After the spectacle, the girls finished their meals quietly and Shinobu and Kaolla stood up to the dishes. They all needed to think.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Yes, Shinobu had never really given up hope of seeing Keitaro again…but she had come to accept the fact that he was most likely gone for good. Maehara was anxious to see her…beloved…_Sempai_ once again, but now…things would be slightly different.

That was because she and her best friend, Kaolla had something. Something that made her feel whole again.

Kitsune had feelings for the young man, yes. She did admit that. And many times she had wondered on his farewell words of "would have something be born" had she changed a bit? Well, now was her chance. And she was NOT going to waste it.

Motoko was downright amazed. Yes. She harboured feelings for Keitaro, but now…now she, like Shinobu (although it was a secret), had found and had something with Keitaro's own sister, something that made her feel special; during the previous 6 months, Kanako and Motoko eventually drew closer, in part because of their sorrow, but then they became sparring partners and as time went on, they got to know each other…and now, they had something. Something nameless, but it was there.

A big give away would be her hatred for men in general.

Narusegawa, Naru. The easiest AND hardest to read.

She was in her own paradox: She loved Keitaro. Yes.

AND she also hated him. Things did NOT get any better for her over the time that passed since his disappearance. And now, the waiting was driving her mad.

Haruka didn't show much on the outside, if anything at all. However! Deep down, she truly loved her nephew and would do anything to have the boy back in her life. Besides, Haruka believed that life was too short for something as stupid as "family boundaries". Hell, she wasn't Keitaro's MOTHER! She wasn't THAT old. And also, Haruka couldn't care less about what everybody else thought.

Haruka hoped this reunion of sorts would help to solve whatever was left unsaid when Keitaro departed.

Kaolla calmly and loyally by Shinobu's side.

Kaolla's main reason to go looking for Keitaro was to tie the loose ends that remained between herself, Shinobu and him after he departed. She knew there was something between her and Shinobu. The bluenette had turned to her in her time of need, and she was glad and proud to have done something to do about Shinobu's "healing" after Keitaro departed.

Now, she would stand by the young Maehara's side, no matter what, and would do anything to make her happy, as well as to make amends to Keitaro for her treatment of him before he left.

Kanako was happy and in distress at the same time. On one hand, she was happy that she would see her beloved _onii-chan_ once again. However, she had something with Motoko. And Kanako admitted to herself that she was nervous about what would happen once they reunited with Keitaro.

She had to make a final choice: her beloved brother or…

She looked down at the finger that held the ring that had been originally on Keitaro's finger and softly caressed it with her fingers. She then remembered the other ring…the ring that was originally on Narusegawa's finger…

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

With 5 minutes left before they were wisked away to the airport, Haruka suddenly remembered…

"Hey, listen people. Before I forget about this…ah…I couldn't get us into Spain directly. Only…close, if you know what I mean" they all turned to her with looks of confusion.

"What do you mean Haruka-_san_?" Shinobu asked politely. She suddenly had this sinking feeling in her gut…

"Well, like I said…I didn't have enough money to travel to Spain. I could afford to get us close. Paris, France, specifically" Haruka winced a little when she noticed all eyes in the room were staring at her. After a few tense moments, the girls acknowledged the information.

"Hey, ah…has anyone called Mutsumi-san?" Kitsune's face reflected albeit briefly a flash of regret for mentioning the watermelon-loving girl. It was gone before anyone noticed, though.

"I did. She didn't answer the phone, though" Naru lied shamelessly.

"Oh, really? Maybe we should try again?" Shinobu began walking towards the phone, when Naru stopped her, grabbing her by the wrist.

"No, wait! No need! I, uh…I left a message, yeah. A message on her answering machine. I'm sure she'll get it sooner or later." She was starting to sweat and her eyes were darting to everyone to see if she could detect if they had any indication that she was lying to them.

The LAST thing Naru needed right now was Mutsumi…and if she was completely honest with herself…she didn't even want the other with her. Keitaro was HER fiancée, and ONLY HERS.

"Well, Ok then. I guess we'll just...leave without her then…" Shinobu was a bit startled and confused at Naru's rather strange reaction. Anyway, she just shrugged.

Naru let out a great sigh of relief when the rest seemed to buy her lie as well.

Motoko caught the sigh, however, and looked over at the older girl. Naru just smiled and waved it off. Motoko wasn't convinced, though. She thought to herself to keep an eye on Naru.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The beeping of a horn signalled that the cab had finally arrived.

Grabbing their things they all made their way down the stone steps of the Hinata Inn to the cab, which turned out to be a large van. It looked like Haruka had planned ahead, knowing the amount of people and luggage that would be coming. For that the girls were quite thankful to the house mother.

Haruka just waved it off and told them to not worry about it.

Within a few minutes they were all loaded and heading off towards the airport.

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After arriving at the airport and acquiring the tickets, the girls took to either sitting down to wait for their flight or walking around, doing some last-minute shopping, for example.

"_Passengers of flight 277 bound for Paris, France. You may begin boarding. Thank you and have a nice trip." _came the voice over the PA system.

The Hinata Crew began their long trek through the tunnel that led to the plane.

All of them had different thoughts and feelings on what might happen once they actually met up with the long lost _ronin_.

Seated and ready to go, the plane was given clearance to disembark from the terminal.

Taxiing out on the runway, the great metallic bird roared it's way down the long stretch of roadway, and just before they hit the end of it, the front wheels followed closely by the rear wheels left the ground and made it's way towards the sky.

And for the girls...their unknown future.

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**A/N: **ALRIGHT! OFF YOUR ASSES, MARINES! YEAH!

You people thought this fic was stone-cold dead, weren't you? Huh? Well, think twice now! This fic's just gettin' started, people!

Well, not much I'm sayin' here, rather READ'N REVIEW people! That's an order!

**A/N#2:** This is **Vegetto800** here. We may have taken sometime in between the last chapter and this one, but don't frett my friends, as we will make sure not to take so long next time in the future. Yes I know you probably have heard that before, but we promise do our best to make you all happy. Make sure you let US know how we did. R and R people!

**A/N#3:**** Vegetto800** and **Major Mike Powell III** do not own the Love Hina series or it's characters. We do own the plot however for this story. **Ken Akamatsu** does own Love Hina and its Characters.

'Til next chapter, people.

_Semper-Fi_! Carry on!


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